Building Environmental Awareness through the Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
Butterflies are some of the most beautiful insects in the world. These enchanting creatures seem to float effortlessly through the air. They undertake a remarkable multi-generational migration, with some traveling up to 3,000 miles from breeding grounds in the northern United States and southern Canada to overwintering sites in central Mexico.
They come in all sizes and colors and show up in the mythology and folklore of many cultures around the world. Butterflies were believed to move between worlds, bringing messages and guidance, representing transformation, rebirth and hope.
Today, over 60 butterfly species are endangered. In 2024, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule to list the Monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, accompanied by a critical habitat designation. Further, a recent publication indicates substantial probability for “quasi-extinction” of the Eastern Monarch butterfly migratory population within 20 years if ambitious habitat restoration and conservation goals are not achieved.
To bring awareness of the plight of this flagship species, we are declaring this the summer of the Monarch butterfly. We will mark the occasion with a series of programs and initiatives chock-full of lessons to be learned from the Monarch.
First, Monarchs are pollinators and need the same habitats (native milkweed and other nectar flowers) as many other pollinators and other wildlife. Monarch butterflies fill the role of the canary in the coal mine, if Monarchs are threatened because of habitat loss many other pollinators and wildlife that share their habitat are in jeopardy as well.
Second, the declining Monarch population parallels other declining pollinator populations. This in turn impacts human food systems, illustrating that Monarchs and other pollinators are part of a food web and ecosystem. Providing enough habitat, like milkweed for Monarchs, is essential in maintaining a balanced food web within the ecosystems that are critical in sustaining us.
Third, Monarchs carry out a unique migration, which inspires interest in the natural world across the entire continent. The fact that these insects, weighing no more than a paperclip, travel for thousands of miles to a destination unknown to them, is a phenomenon that deserves protection for its own sake. Their dramatic migration also serves as an amazing way to teach the next generation about science and caring for the environment. If you’ve ever seen a monarch caterpillar pupate, or an adult emerge from its chrysalis, you too know how amazing their metamorphosis is, and the excitement it generates in kids and adults alike.
Fourth, the threats to Monarchs presented by habitat loss, global warming, pesticides and predators are real. The availability of safe and quality feeding and breeding habitat is essential for populations but that is becoming increasingly hard to find. Every year approximately 1 billion pounds of pesticide is used across the country. An estimated 70 million pounds of that are used for purely cosmetic purposes on people’s lawns. Humans are making it difficult for pollinators to survive.
Yet, thanks to increasing awareness about the plight of this charismatic species, there is hope that by working together we can take the actions necessary to protect the Monarch and, in turn, the future of our planet.
